He added: "Our excavation is providing an unprecedented picture of life in an Anglo-Saxon royal complex.

"Gaming, along with feasting, drinking, and music, formed one of the key entertainments of the Anglo-Saxon mead-hall as evoked in the poem Beowulf.

"The discovery of Anglo-Saxon gaming-pieces and gaming-boards has previously been restricted to male burials, particularly those of the Anglo-Saxon elite."

The last time a similar artefact was found was during the excavation of a barrow burial in Taplow, Buckinghamshire, in the 1880s.

The Lyminge piece, which is the first to be found in a "gaming setting", includes a central bronze rivet.

Common board games of the time were latrunculi and tabula, the aim of which was to capture the opponent's pieces.

Also found nearby were items of jewellery, luxury glass, and pits with animal bones, suggesting that feasting and other ceremonial events took place at the site.

Dr Thomas said: "By combining these fascinating structural remains with a stunning array of artefacts, our excavations are providing new insights into the role played by Anglo-Saxon royal complexes in forging kingdoms and royal dynasties during this key period in English history."